Tamper-proof garment hanger



Oct. 9, 1956 J. J. BOYAGAIN 2,765,967

TAMPER-PROOF GARMENT HANGER Filed Nov. 23, 1953 John J Boyaga/h v I IN VEN TOR.

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2,765,967 TAMPER-PROOF GARMENT HANGER John J. Boyagain, Atlanta, Ga. Application November 23, 1958, Serial No. 393,583 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-91) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in garment hangers, and the principal object of the invention is to provide means to easily and dependably sustain garments in position on the hanger, yet to facilitate expeditious removal of such garments, when so desired.

The object is achieved by providing the garment hanger structure with clamps for releasably securing the garment or garments in position on the hanger.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efiicient and dependable operation and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the invention; 1

Figure 2 is an edge view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, shown partly in section and on an enlarged scale, illustrating the garment hanger in its clamping position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional detail, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 1.

As will be hereinafter clear, the subject matter of the invention has reference in particular to a special purpose garment hanger, that is, one which is expressly designed to safe-guard garments which are displayed thereon for inspection and general display and advertising purposes. It is a matter of concern to keep in mind, in this connection, that few if any mechanical provisions are made in stores and the like to frustrate and hamper the efforts of shoplifters. To the end that this currently unsolved theft problem is still rampant, it will be clear that the structural adaptations herein revealed result in the provision of an anti-theft garment hanger which seeks to frustrate the efforts of shop-lifters by reason of the fact that the means provided thereon serves to latch and lock the garment on the hanger so that it is a difficult matter for an unauthorized person to resort to shoplifting tricks and to snatch the garment and get away with it. Not only does the structure provide latching and clamping means to hold the sleeve portions of the coat or other garment on the hanger, means is also incorporated which makes the over-all device quite cumbersome and sufficiently unwieldy that bundling the garment around the coat hanger, as is often done for compactness, is diflicult and makes it easier for store detectives and others to spot shoplifters.

Referring now to the accompanying tail, the garment hanger is designated generally by the reference character 10 and embodies in its construction a cross member 12 provided with the customary top portion 14 equipped with a suspension hook 16, while a drawings in denited States Patent pair of side members 18 extend downwardly from the opposite end portions of the cross member 12 and are connected together at their lower ends; by a transverse member 20.

A pair of clamps 22 are pivotally attached at 24 to the end portions of the cross member 12 and are equipped at their lower ends with clamping pads 26 which are engageable with similar pads 28 secured to the side members 18. Accordingly, when a garment is inserted between the pads 26, 28 and the clamps 22 are moved toward the side members 18, the garment will be securely sustained in position on the hanger.

Means are provided for urging the clamps 22 toward the side members 18, these means consisting of an articulated toggle bar 30 which is composed of a pair of rigid links 32 having their adjacent ends pivotally connected together at 34. i

The links 32 are freely slidable in suitable slots 36 formed in the top portion 14 of the hanger and it will be also observed that a tension spring 38 is connected or anchored to the links 32 at points 40 at the opposite sides of the pivot 34 so as to urge said links into a buckled position, at either side of an axis ext-ending between pivots 42 whereby the outer ends of the bar sections 32 are operatively connected to the upper end of the clamp 22.

A protecting sleeve 44 freely encloses the spring 38 and the pivotally connected portions of the bar sections 32, the sleeve 44 being mounted on the pivot pin 34 itself, as is clearly shown in Figure 4.

When the device is in its open position, as illustrated in Figure 1, the articulated actuating bar 30 is buckled upwardly as shown, so that the upper ends of the clamps 22 are drawn together and the pads 26, 28 are separated so as to receive a garment therebetween. However, by forcing the pivoted connection on" the bar section 32 downwardly to the position shown by the full lines in Figure 3, the upper ends of the clamps 22 will be urged outwardly and the pads 26, 28 will be brought in frictional engagement with the garment, so as to sustain the same in position on the holder.

It is to be noted that in this clamping position the pivot 34 of the bar sections 32 is disposed below or beyond the dead center, in other words, below or beyond the straight line or axis between the pivots 42, whereby the articulated actuating bar 30 is prevented from being accidentally or unintentionally released.

It will be noted that the U-shaped extension frame made up of the side members 13 and interconnecting bight portion 20 is substantially coplanar with the triangular main hanger frame 10. It is also rigid and relatively long, being at least as long as the over-all length of the triangular frame 10. Hence any ordinary or conventional garments displayed in the stores may be hung on this hanger. That is to say, the V-shaped portion will take care of the coat to a suit and the crossbar 12 will provide suspension for the trousers, the extended U-shaped frame not interfering with the usual placement of the garment on the hanger. However, the clamping means when closed will grip the junctional portions of the sleeves and the body of the coat, for instance, in a manner to substantially lock the coat and hanger together. Considering the difliculty which attends tampering With this garment and hanger combination, it is plain to be seen that shoplifting activities will be reduced to a minimum, perhaps, eventually taken care of, insofar as garments suspended on hangers are concerned.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in garment handling establishments, clothing stores and the like, a substantially tamper-proof garment hanger comprising, in combination, a substantially triangular frame including the usual horizontal cross member and upwardly converging complemental end members provided at their converging ends with a suspension hook, said converging members each having a lengthwise slot therein, clamping devices operatively mounted at the respective end portions of said frame, and operating and retaining means therefor comprising a toggle, said toggle embodying a pair of complcrnental links having their respective outer ends passing through the respective slots and connected with said clamping devices, said links substantially paralleling the crossmember when in one position and having their inner adjacent ends pivotally connected with each other, a sleeve attached to the pivotal connection and embracing the pivotally connected ends of said links, and a coil spring having its end portions attached to the respective end portions of said links and confined within the limits of said sleeve.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said frame is provided at its opposite ends with depending side members and said clamping devices are pivotally mounted between their ends on the end portions of said frame, the lower ends of said devices providing jaws and being movable toward and from said side members, the outer ends of the respective links being pivotally connected with the upper ends of the respective clamping members, whereby said clamping members are opened and closed by the action of said toggle links.

3. For use in frustrating and hampering the efforts of shoplifters and forestalling of any similar unauthorized activity or theft in a store or garment storage room, a tamper-proof garment hanger characterized by the usual triangular frame having a horizontal cross member, upwardly converging complemental members and a suspension hook, and a rigid vertically elongated coplanar frame ancillary to said triangular frame and of general U-shaped form and embodying a pair of side members joined to and depending from the respective end portions of said cross member, and a transverse bight member connecting the lower ends of said side members, said U-shaped frame being of appreciable length constituting a guard which, in conjunction with the triangular frame renders the over-all hanger cumbersome, prevents the garment on the hanger from being bundled into a compact package and otherwise hinders and thus forestalls theft, that is, getting away with the garment and hanger, a pair of garment fastening clamps pivotally mounted on the respective end portions of said triangular frame and cooperable with adjacent portions of the respective side members of said U-shaped frame, and a pair of manually regulable hingedly connected toggle links mounted on said triangular frame, operatively connected with said clamps, and functioning to hold the clamps open and released or, alternatively, closed and substantially inaccessible to unauthorized persons seeking to tamper therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,575 Davis Dec. 28, 1915 1,242,829 McAlister Oct. 9, 1917 1,824,138 Heimaun Sept. 22, 1931 2,185,253 Klein Jan. 2, 1940 2,211,998 Allen Aug. 20, 1940 2,588,235 Herrick Mar. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,821 Great Britain 1890 

